Well, the attacks have begun. The #FAKENEWSBEZOSAMAZONPOST has a hit piece on Brett Kavanaugh titled: “I don’t know Kavanaugh the judge. But Kavanaugh the carpool dad is one great guy.” Oh, wait. It’s not a hit piece. It’s actually very kind:

Brett’s older daughter and mine have been classmates at Blessed Sacrament School, a small Catholic school in the District, for the past seven years. On evenings and weekends, you’re likely to find Brett at a local gym or athletic field, encouraging his players or watching games with his daughters and their friends. He coaches not one but two girls’ basketball teams. His positive attitude and calm demeanor make the game fun and allow each player to shine. The results have been good: This past season, he led the Blessed Sacrament School’s sixth-grade girls team to an undefeated season and a citywide championship in the local Catholic youth league. To the parents with players on the squad, it’s no surprise that the team photograph with the trophy is displayed prominently in his chambers.

Brett’s contribution to our school’s community extends beyond the sidelines. He and his wife, Ashley, support their two daughters and other children at countless school and church functions throughout the year. In the summer, Brett is the “carpool dad,” often shuttling students to and from practices, games and activities. And in a city where professional obligations can often take priority over personal ones, Brett is a steady presence at his daughters’ events, even if it means racing across town just to catch the last 15 minutes of a game or program.

Brett’s friendship and mentorship have touched my family in an especially personal way. A few years ago, my husband died. One of the many difficult aspects of that loss was that my daughter had no one to accompany her to the school’s annual father-daughter dance. That first year — and every year since my husband’s passing — Brett has stepped forward to take my daughter to the dance alongside his own.

Although a judge’s intellect, judicial philosophy, clarity of writing, fidelity to constitutional principle, and temperament are more important to his position on the Supreme Court than stories like this, it’s good to know that Kavanaugh seems like a nice guy. Clarence Thomas is another example of a person who is very decent on a personal level, who knows staffers at the Court by name and respects everyone. Just because you are a horrible conservative who rules in horrible conservative ways doesn’t mean you have to be a horrible person too. (This is tongue in cheek; I feel certain I will love the horrible conservative decisions Justice Kavanaugh will write, just as I love Thomas’s decisions.)

The personal tale is also useful to rebut the inevitable attacks on Kavanaugh from the left as Evil Incarnate. Jim Treacher anticipated these in a brilliantly funny piece he wrote before the selection, mocking the press releases that lefty groups release at times like these:

It should go without saying that [FILL IN THE BLANK] is a completely unacceptable nominee, but we’ll say it anyway. This cannot be allowed to happen. It’s not hyperbole or exaggeration to say that [FILL IN THE BLANK] will destroy America and kill us all, and here are just a few good reasons why:

Did you know that [FILL IN THE BLANK] believes women should be treated as second-class citizens by denying them access to [LIBERAL AGENDA ITEM]? Did you know that [HE/SHE] doesn’t agree that [OPINION ALL MY FRIENDS EXPRESS, WHICH I HAVEN’T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT, BUT I’D BETTER GO ALONG WITH IT OR THEY MIGHT NOT LIKE ME ANYMORE]? I mean… really? It makes you nostalgic for the good old days of [PREVIOUS REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT, WHO I ALSO CALLED “HITLER” ALL THE TIME], doesn’t it?

Did you know that [FILL IN THE BLANK] wants to take away your right to [THING THAT ISN’T ACTUALLY A RIGHT, BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS WHAT “RIGHTS” ARE ANYMORE]? Um, hello? I literally can’t even.

[FILL IN THE BLANK] is also a kind person who loves his family. Take that, lefties.

[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]